


Better Now

by slashmyheartandhopetoporn



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 06:26:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5732824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slashmyheartandhopetoporn/pseuds/slashmyheartandhopetoporn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>fill for the prompt meme request: "(Sleepy Hotch) Hotch has his walls up all the time and I'd love it if someone wrote something where after a really big case Reid has to take care of Hotch because he's exhausted. Hotch being very open and vulnerable and Reid being protective would be wonderful</p><p>Bonus points if the rest of the team are involved or see; thank you!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better Now

The plane doesn’t afford much privacy, but Spencer considers the way Aaron’s slumped heavily in his seat and decides that privacy doesn’t much matter. He takes the empty spot next to Aaron and leans slightly into his space.

“Tell me how I can help,” he says quietly.

Aaron shakes his head and waves a hand. It falls back into his lap heavily, and Spencer’s frown deepens. He’s not sure he’s ever seen Aaron this physically worn down without being stabbed or shot, but he supposes being beaten, drugged, and denied sleep for three days will do that to a person.

Spencer raises the back of his hand to press gently against Aaron’s forehead. “You’re fever’s still down, so that’s good,” he murmurs. “But I do wish you would have let us stay the night in Willits.” He knows he shouldn’t complain, that once Aaron decided he’d rather go straight to the jet and head back to DC, regardless of his health, the conversation was over. But he’s frustrated that they’re in this position, a position where Aaron can barely speak and Spencer isn’t allowed, let alone able, to do much to comfort him.

“Spencer,” Aaron says, but he stops there. He looks at Spencer and swallows. “Some tea would be nice.”

Spencer nods and smiles faintly, accepting the disguised apology for what it is. “I can manage that.”

Standing provides him a view of the rest of the jet and the realization that everyone on the team is staring at him, their eyes reflecting either concern or surprise. That he and Aaron are dating isn’t a secret, but up until this particular case they’ve behaved strictly professionally when around the rest of their co-workers, even though all their co-workers feel more like family than anything. Spencer’s always suspected Aaron’s insistence they avoid all non-professional contact was more about proving to himself that he was capable of maintaining a strictly professional environment than anything else, but the result was the same: Spencer’s hand on Aaron’s forehead, his body encroaching on Aaron’s personal space, was the first act of public intimacy the pair had ever put on display for the rest of their unit.

Spencer tucks a curl behind his ear nervously and heads to the back of the jet and the small kitchenette. He starts the electric kettle and then pulls out a mug. He has to dig around a bit to find the bag of chamomile, and by the time he’s unearthed it from under a pile of half-empty coffee bags, Morgan is there beside him.

“How you doing, pretty boy?” he asks, voice low.

“I’m okay,” Spencer says with a shrug. “It’s Hotch we should be worried about.”

“He’s a stubborn son of a bitch, that’s for sure.”

Spencer shrugs again. “He doesn’t want us to think he’s weak.”

Morgan snorts. “How many times have we seen that man in the hospital? And not once have we considered him anything short of terrifying.”

“I know that,” Spencer agrees. “ _He_ knows that. He’s just…”

“Stubborn, we know.”

The kettle announces its completion with a subtle click, and Spencer takes the opportunity to distract himself from the conversation by readying Aaron’s tea.

“I think it scares him,” he says suddenly. “I think it scares him that he’s getting older, and if anything his job is only getting more dangerous. I mean, he’s always been scared for Jack. But I think he’s starting to finally get scared for himself.” He looks at Morgan fleetingly, eyes darting to and away anxiously. “I don’t know how to help him with that.”

Morgan considers this before asking, “Have you thought about talking to Rossi?”

“I think if Aaron knew I was already talking to you about this he’d be incredibly upset with me.”

“Hotch doesn’t know what’s good for him.”

Spencer’s brows furl. “And I do? Since when did I become such a good judge of what others needed?” Morgan looks ready to say more, but Spencer barrels ahead of him. “I have to bring this to Aaron,” he says, then pushes past the other man.

When he returns to Aaron’s seat, Aaron’s eyes are pressed closed as he leans back into the cushions. Spencer places the mug down as quietly as he can and slips carefully back into his seat. Aaron’s eyes open anyway.

“I thought you might be sleeping,” says Spencer.

“Planes,” Aaron replies, and Spencer nods. Aaron’s inability to sleep on planes is clearly still in tact, despite the man’s exhaustion. “Were you just talking about me with Morgan?” he continues, but there’s an edge of amusement to his voice.

Spencer doesn’t bother denying it. “He’s just worried about you. We all are.”

“I’m fine. I’m just tired.”

“Hotch,” Spencer says flatly. “You can barely keep yourself upright.”

“Too bad these seats don’t recline.”

Spencer huffs out a laugh. “I guess if you can crack jokes you’re not too beat up.”

Aaron sighs. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I’m still pretty beat up.”

“I thought you wanted me to _stop_ worrying about you.”

“Honestly, I kind of like it when you start playing caregiver.”

The comment pulls another smile out of Spencer. Besides his mother and his failed attempts with Maeve, Spencer doesn’t have a lot of experience caring for other people.

“Even if I’m not particularly good at it?”

Aaron takes one of Spencer’s hands in his own, and Spencer feels his throat tighten as each one of Aaron’s newly minted cuts and swellings presses against his skin. “You’re perfect,” Aaron says, and Spencer steadfastly refuses to look at the rest of the people on the plane--he can feel their stares boring into him already.

“We’re putting on a show,” he says quietly.

“I'm too tired to care. And everything hurts.”

“Have you taken your pain meds?”

Aaron waves his free hand again. “They make me foggy.”

“Then at least drink your tea. Might help you sleep.”

Aaron takes a dutiful sip. “Thank you for this, Spencer.”

It’s strange, Spencer thinks, to be doing something so mundanely intimate in front of the rest of the team. He’s not embarrassed, or even all that uncomfortable. It’s simply new territory for him. He looks down at Aaron’s hand entwined with his own, his thumb rubbing circles against Spencer’s, and finds he likes this openness. Likes being able to gingerly rest himself against Aaron’s shoulder and feel his breath fall in time with his partner’s. He doesn’t mind that the others can see, that they’re actively watching. In fact, he likes finally being able to stake a public claim over Aaron. Possessiveness has never been one of Spencer’s dominant qualities, but something about Aaron’s vulnerable state has him feeling rather protective. He holds Aaron’s hand a little tighter and presses a kiss to his shoulder.

“You okay?” Aaron asks him, resting his head against the top of Spencer’s.

Spencer nods against him. “Much better now.”

**Author's Note:**

> first ever kink meme fill and first ever hotch/reid fic! hope you enjoyed.
> 
> find me on tumblr: slashmyheartandhopetoporn.tumblr.com  
> find me on twitter: twitter.com/andhopetoporn


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